Define active euthanasia
Carrying out an action to help someone die e.g. Lethal drugs
Define passive euthanasia
Not carrying out actions which would prolong life e.g. Withdraw food, water or medication or give medication which has side effects which mean death will come sooner
Hippocratic oath in relation to euthanasia
‘I will not prescribe a drug to please someone, nor give advice that may cause his death’.
Most doctors agree, however passive euthanasia is considered legal in UK although not shown as cause of death
-however philosopher Francis Bacon argued ‘the job of a doctor is to restore health but also to mitigate pain or delours’
Outline Tony Bland case
- 1989 Hillsborough football stadium disaster
- crushed and deprived of oxygen but then revived, although a large part of his brain function had died
- in a coma for 4 years in a persistent vegetative state, having sustained catastrophic and irreversible damage
- 1993 his parents applies to High Court and House of Lords to allow his food and water to be taken away, they agreed
- first patient in English history to die in this manner
Define euthanasia
Inducing a painless death by agreement, with dignity and compassion to ease suffering or pain
What did R.H Crook say?
Due to advances in medical technology we can keep people alive almost indefinite due to life support systems but this creates medical dilemma’s.
Outline Tony Nicklinson case
- ‘locked in syndrome’ after a stroke in 2005, described it as ‘being buried alive’ as he could only move his head and eyes
- after a 10 year legal battle to die, he refused food and medical treatment, dying of pneumonia
Outline Diane Pretty case
- motor neurone disease
- died in a hospice, after fighting for the right to take her own life by euthanasia but was refused
Outline Dr Anne Turner case
- wanted assisted suicide because she had PSP which was worsening and she had watched her husband and brother in law die of similar conditions
- died in Switzerland in 2002 at Dignitas with medical assistance ‘sooner than she would have liked’
Arguments for voluntary euthanasia
- it is not murder- Gregory E Pence argues in ‘why physicians should aid the dying (1997)’ that killing humans who don’t want to live is not wrong because you are helping the dying to die
- it is merciful- shows mercy for those suffering an intolerable pain from an incurable disease. Thomas Moore says in 1516 ‘utopia’ that when a patient suffers ‘torturing and lingering pain so that there is no hope of recovery or ease…choose rather to die, since they cannot live but in much misery’. It is also argued that animals have this right so why shouldn’t humans.
- it gives people autonomy. Mill wrote in ‘on liberty’ that ‘the only part of the conduct of any one, for which citizens are amenable to society is one which concerns others’ ‘individual is sovereign’. Advocates argue that euthanasia should be an option alongside palliative care and that self determination should be allowed.
- passive euthanasia goes on already- VES argue it would be safer if we regulated it and that there is no ethical difference between active and passive
- it maintains quality of life- helps to maintain dignity and self respect right up until the end of life
Arguments against voluntary euthanasia
- motives- person could be crying out in despair but thoughts may pass. Risk of misinterpretation when you can’t tell if they are the true intentions of the patient, leaving them vulnerable
- mistakes- diagnosis of terminal illness could be wrong and there is not medical certainty about the condition or how long it would take to develop, depriving people of valuable years of full life.
- abuse of the system- elderly relatives could begin to feel burdens and ask for euthanasia to get out of the way. Johnathon Glover comments that they could commit suicide or ask for assisted death because of pressure from scheming relatives. Harold Shipman, doctor death, murdered dozens of patients. Euthanasia could lead to murder if legalised
- impact on the community-could lead to involuntary euthanasia happening e.g. Nazi’s and sick people. Glover rejects this as unconvincing. More likely that it will damage the care of dying patients. There is an opportunity in hospice movements for people to enjoy life e.g. Alan from St Mary’s hospice likes to get out. Could affect culture in which care has developed and people could be afraid that hospices would encourage assisted death as an option. Doctors, nurses and hospital staff are all affected by the practice of euthanasia. Killing in hospitals could reduce respect for life
People who support euthanasia
-Ludovic Kennedy-chairman of VES
In Holland, the family doctor who knows them well performs the action and it has to be the patient’s choice in writing
People who are against euthanasia
Cicely Saunders- founded hospice movement in 1967
Dr Nigel Sykes- Works at St Christopher’s hospice
Pain managed treatment and hospice care is much better, there is a slippery slope- vulnerable people line become’s blurred between voluntary and non, would lead to ambiguity between patient and doctor because they are influenced by emotion too much.
Explain general Christian teachings on euthanasia
- Roger Crook- ‘how do we care for the terminally ill person whose remaining days are increasingly agonisingly painful?’
- ‘shall not murder’ 6th commandment
- care for the sick as Jesus did
- but some self-sacrifice examples e.g ‘greater love has no man than…a mam lay down his life for his friends’- Japanese camp
- exceptions for warfare and self defence
Roman Catholic Specific teachings on euthanasia
- second Vatican Council condemned all crimes against lied and said we should ‘preserve (life) and make fruitful’
- taking a life undermines God’s love for people and his authority
- ‘violation of divine law’ ‘attack on humanity’
- Jesus’ suffering connects us to suffering we should have end the end of life
- free will does not extend to life
- Thomas Wood- ‘suffering can seem meaningless..it is not the worst evil…occasion for spiritual growth’
- only agree to withdraw treatment if it would not lead to any improvement of condition or prevent death by continuing it
Liberal Protestant specific thoughts on euthanasia
- Joseph Fletcher- advocate of right to die because Christian faith emphasises love for fellow humans- quality of life to be valued over biological life, death is a friend to someone with a debilitating illness, all medical preventions set human will against nature
- people who are prepared to ‘accept death are preferable to continuous suffering for patient and family
- no distinction between animal and human suffering- extending it to severely disabled children
Conservative Protestant views on euthanasia
- represented by Arthur Dyck
- an act of kindness can result in withdrawing treatment but not actively to bring about death
- ‘killing is generally wrong so it should be kept to a narrow range of exceptions’
- but killing e.g. Disabled children through active euthanasia makes some people in society of less value than others
- mercy is a moral obligation but killing is not
- mercy killing is a contradiction because we fail to care for the most needy in the community when we use it to justify killing disabled or mentally incompetent. It is a fundamental moral duty to care for others
- voluntary euthanasia is permitted by some, but never active euthanasia on which the person plays no role
- it is a move from general principles to specific applications therefore Christian thinkers often struggle with ethical approaches to the problem
